Introduction to MIPS Processors
MIPS processors seem to have come out of nowhere, and have made their own little impact on the computer industry. Little Linux Laptops in their wide variety of models and companies have shown up on the scene with a processor very few developers seem to be able to work with. The processor needs every application it runs to be completely recompiled to work with its own instruction set. Because of this, the projects that already required a compile in order to run (namely open-source unix applications) were the first to work with the little CPU.
Contrary to popular belief, the MIPS processor has been around for quite some time. It was first used to power very small electronic devices, at least as far as computer brain power was concerned. It later became a popular CPU to power small robots and mechanical toys, primarily because of its small physical footprint, as well as its relatively low cost. In recent years, it has appeared in Wireless Access Points, powering several LinkSYS models.
And just recently, some overseas net book models appeared that ran a complete desktop environment using the little processors that could. The net books are invariably locked, and require some form of a boot sequence, coupled with a loaded SD card to load a new flash operating system.
While the computational powers of the newer, upgraded MIPS design still doesn't come close to rivaling an Intel or an AMD, the extremely low cost of the chip may very well force its way into the daily life of an average tech. Already the underpowered chips have crossed the 400Mhz thresshold, and are getting faster with each new model. While this sounds like they are hopelessly behind in the processor race, they are still coming around with affordable products. People are starting to use them anyway.
More information you can find at Offshore Development Center website.